These are excellent questions and I doubt Halvorson and Boudreau have the appropriate answers. The cost alone is intimidating considering the city’s current financial status.
This is a performance driven effort to bolster the Mayor, pure and simple. The city manager and senior staff, along with the police, must ask these questions. The tell will be when the council members cannot honestly answer the questions. I hope the citizens will demand answers The lack of real leadership and the use of satire and social media clicks shows the lack of maturity and seriousness from these young, yet morally bankrupt, elected officials. They are not ready for prime time.
There are no simple answers to homelessness. Certainly Halverson and Boudreau with their plan aren't the answer. Boudreau doesn't want to losel his Council seat but nothing he does now will save him and he knows it. Halverson's "Stunt" with Kelso Councilor Harvey tells the community all it needs to know about him.
The fact is, if we can figure out how to get folks off drugs and back into leading productive lives, that's a solution to 50 % of the homeless problem. Mental Health issues a large part too.
If the Homeless were that because of unemployment---most folks would have a different attitude about them.
Somehow we gotta figure out a way to get folks off drugs and treat the folks mental health issues.
These solutions aren't gonna come from either Halverson or Boudreau.
I googled this subject, here's some of what I got:
Several cities have demonstrated success in reducing homelessness through various strategies, including "Housing First" and data-driven approaches. Cities like Houston, Texas, Bakersfield, California, Wichita, Kansas, Reno, Nevada, and international cities like Helsinki, Finland and Vienna, Austria have made significant strides. Houston, Texas: Houston has implemented a "Housing First" approach, which prioritizes providing permanent housing to people experiencing homelessness, followed by support services. This strategy has led to a substantial decrease in the overall homeless population, with a 63% reduction between 2011 and 2023. Houston's success is also attributed to a collaborative system involving various stakeholders, including law enforcement.
I'll keep searching for more answers and info since my back is out and I can't get out of my own way, maybe I can help with more research.
"Unfortunately, cities often respond to encampments by clearing and closing them, which involves removing individuals’ structures and belongings and requiring people to leave the encampment area. This further displaces individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness, leads to harmful health consequences, and creates greater challenges for pursuing the more humane, and cost-effective strategy: moving people into shelters or permanent housing (Change et al., 2022; Dunton et al., 2020). As highlighted below, responding to encampments in this way is also resource-intensive for local governments."
I do not think that the resolution sponsors know the answer to the questions and did that to show they "care" and think there is an easy answer. If they want people out of the street, perhaps support some sort of homeless housing coupled with mental health and career counselors. Just a thought. Shoeing someone off to another town or county is in my opinion not responsible (I don't think I would be proud to say--if I were a community leader--that we pushed them to relocate to XXX town (e.g. Winlock, Centralia, Elma) and now unicorns can return to the library grounds etc. because we passed on the issue to the aforementioned towns. That is the unspoken thing or the "elephant in the room."
I remember seeing homeless encampments near Tacoma when I was growing up. That was more than 60 years ago. This is not a new problem and is certainly more complicated than the solutions either of these immature politicians can resolve to repair.
I think a lot of people believe that the homeless caused their own problem's so it's ok to treat them like criminals. However, while some do have addiction issues, that's not true for many. See below:
"While the findings above illustrate the significant mental health implications of homelessness, it’s important to note that many people experiencing homelessness do not have a mental illness or substance use disorder, and the large majority of the roughly 73 million people in the U.S. that experience either type of condition do not experience homelessness (SAMHSA, 2021)."
Being a Native American, 1st American, or what ya'll white folks call us, Indian, me and my ancestors kinda know what "Stricter Enforcement" means. U see, every time we pitched our Tee Pees somewhere, here ya'll came. Telling us to get out of the park, well actually off the land ya'll wanted.
'Course now some of my ancestors didn't want to move. Their graves by the 1,000's, I'd say 100,000's lie scattered through out America. Where the "Enforcers" told us to go weren't exactly where we wanted ta.
Strict enforcement or enhanced enforcement ain't the answer. Some kindness, a touch of empathy and yes our Cops got a job to do, but in our cities they do it well. And my guess is, they're sick of elected using them to solve problems refuse to. Don't fix what ain't broken build on what works.
These are excellent questions and I doubt Halvorson and Boudreau have the appropriate answers. The cost alone is intimidating considering the city’s current financial status.
How soon can we get these two out of office? Answer: not soon enough
This is a performance driven effort to bolster the Mayor, pure and simple. The city manager and senior staff, along with the police, must ask these questions. The tell will be when the council members cannot honestly answer the questions. I hope the citizens will demand answers The lack of real leadership and the use of satire and social media clicks shows the lack of maturity and seriousness from these young, yet morally bankrupt, elected officials. They are not ready for prime time.
There are no simple answers to homelessness. Certainly Halverson and Boudreau with their plan aren't the answer. Boudreau doesn't want to losel his Council seat but nothing he does now will save him and he knows it. Halverson's "Stunt" with Kelso Councilor Harvey tells the community all it needs to know about him.
The fact is, if we can figure out how to get folks off drugs and back into leading productive lives, that's a solution to 50 % of the homeless problem. Mental Health issues a large part too.
If the Homeless were that because of unemployment---most folks would have a different attitude about them.
Somehow we gotta figure out a way to get folks off drugs and treat the folks mental health issues.
These solutions aren't gonna come from either Halverson or Boudreau.
They’re not going to answer those questions because that would require critical thinking skills.
Oh Amy, I miss you!
I googled this subject, here's some of what I got:
Several cities have demonstrated success in reducing homelessness through various strategies, including "Housing First" and data-driven approaches. Cities like Houston, Texas, Bakersfield, California, Wichita, Kansas, Reno, Nevada, and international cities like Helsinki, Finland and Vienna, Austria have made significant strides. Houston, Texas: Houston has implemented a "Housing First" approach, which prioritizes providing permanent housing to people experiencing homelessness, followed by support services. This strategy has led to a substantial decrease in the overall homeless population, with a 63% reduction between 2011 and 2023. Houston's success is also attributed to a collaborative system involving various stakeholders, including law enforcement.
I'll keep searching for more answers and info since my back is out and I can't get out of my own way, maybe I can help with more research.
Thank you, Linda.
"Unfortunately, cities often respond to encampments by clearing and closing them, which involves removing individuals’ structures and belongings and requiring people to leave the encampment area. This further displaces individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness, leads to harmful health consequences, and creates greater challenges for pursuing the more humane, and cost-effective strategy: moving people into shelters or permanent housing (Change et al., 2022; Dunton et al., 2020). As highlighted below, responding to encampments in this way is also resource-intensive for local governments."
https://community.solutions/research-posts/the-costs-and-harms-of-homelessness/
I do not think that the resolution sponsors know the answer to the questions and did that to show they "care" and think there is an easy answer. If they want people out of the street, perhaps support some sort of homeless housing coupled with mental health and career counselors. Just a thought. Shoeing someone off to another town or county is in my opinion not responsible (I don't think I would be proud to say--if I were a community leader--that we pushed them to relocate to XXX town (e.g. Winlock, Centralia, Elma) and now unicorns can return to the library grounds etc. because we passed on the issue to the aforementioned towns. That is the unspoken thing or the "elephant in the room."
How do we measure success if Council has not answered those questions? If they have been answered, I want to see the answers.
I remember seeing homeless encampments near Tacoma when I was growing up. That was more than 60 years ago. This is not a new problem and is certainly more complicated than the solutions either of these immature politicians can resolve to repair.
Great questions Andrea. I honestly wish you would serve on the city council.
I think a lot of people believe that the homeless caused their own problem's so it's ok to treat them like criminals. However, while some do have addiction issues, that's not true for many. See below:
"While the findings above illustrate the significant mental health implications of homelessness, it’s important to note that many people experiencing homelessness do not have a mental illness or substance use disorder, and the large majority of the roughly 73 million people in the U.S. that experience either type of condition do not experience homelessness (SAMHSA, 2021)."
Being a Native American, 1st American, or what ya'll white folks call us, Indian, me and my ancestors kinda know what "Stricter Enforcement" means. U see, every time we pitched our Tee Pees somewhere, here ya'll came. Telling us to get out of the park, well actually off the land ya'll wanted.
'Course now some of my ancestors didn't want to move. Their graves by the 1,000's, I'd say 100,000's lie scattered through out America. Where the "Enforcers" told us to go weren't exactly where we wanted ta.
Strict enforcement or enhanced enforcement ain't the answer. Some kindness, a touch of empathy and yes our Cops got a job to do, but in our cities they do it well. And my guess is, they're sick of elected using them to solve problems refuse to. Don't fix what ain't broken build on what works.
https://community.solutions/built-for-zero/the-movement/
https://community.solutions/these-communities-are-proving-that-homelessness-is-solvable/